MANILA, Philippines - I’ve always thought of colored hair as a statement. Not that it seemed that one was unhappy with their natural hair color, but that they had a command of their appearance and confidence. During my high school and college days, I was obsessed with changing my image. I shuffled through different looks, experimenting with clothes and, of course, my hair. The farthest I went was bleaching my hair three times to achieve a platinum blonde. After that, however, my days as a chameleon were over.

My hair became so damaged after my blonde moment that I decided to shave it off when it became too brittle. I’ve been averse to color my hair since. But recently, L’Oréal Professionel launched a product that might just get me back on that coloring chair. Smartbond, L’Oreal’s new hair color additive, should prevent extreme damage from hair color. It restores the weak bonds of the hair while protecting the strong ones. The best thing about this is that it takes no extra time from your usual hair coloring sesh: Smartbond is simply mixed in to the hair color and is reinforced by a pre-shampoo step. Easy.

Along with the launch of Smartbond, L’Oréal also launched a new trend in hairstyles, which they call hair contouring. It sounds a bit weird, but it’s really just layering the hair in a way that complements a face shape. It’s done expertly using cuts and effortless styling tricks, which were demonstrated in a live hair show by world-renowned hairstylist Matthew Collins. The hair show and product launch were complemented by designs by young designers Esme Palaganas, Patty, Ang, and Stacy Rodriguez, who created looks for the conservative, modern, and adventurous Filipina, respectively.

The event did not only celebrate the joy of hair coloring, but it definitely showed that Filipinas need not be afraid to dive head first into dyeing their precious tresses. Changing your look — whether it’s just trying out something new, or completely transforming yourself — can be empowering. With L’Oréal’s new layer of protection, it’s much easier to #FearNoDamage.

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